Chloe vs Mattie
by Audrie Michelle
Summary: Chloe and Mattie meet for the first time. They are both stressed so... the meeting is less than perfect, to say the least.
1. Chloe and Mac

Chloe vs. Mattie  
  
Trudging up the steps to Mac's apartment, Chloe adjusted her bag over her shoulder. She was pissed about her dad ditching her over her birthday and was hoping Mac wouldn't question her, namely because she was afraid she would cry. Sighing, she knocked softly on the door.  
  
Hearing someone at the door, Mac shifted her feet from under her, stretching a little before going to look in the peep hole. Seeing Chloe, Mac quickly opened the lock and the door to let in her adopted sister.  
  
"Hey kiddo. I didn't know you were coming, but I am always thankful for an opportunity to spend time with you."  
  
"Hey yourself," Chloe said even as she shrugged off the hug that Mac tried to give her. "Got any Pepsi?" The young girl didn't even bother waiting for the older woman to answer, but immediately began trudging toward the kitchen, dropping her bag at the door and kicking off her shoes along the way.  
  
Noticing her bad mood, Mac picked up the girl's shoes and placed them by the door, saying nothing. Going to the kitchen, she grabbed a chair as she watched Chloe search for Pepsi and M&Ms, her two favorites, especially when she was stressed.  
  
"Want some?" Chloe offered as she slumped in a chair next to Mac, trying to appear somewhat generous.  
  
"No thanks. But," Mac began, treading lightly, "I would like you to tell me what's wrong."  
  
Glaring, Chloe mumbled a semi-audible reply, "Nothing. I just... I don't want to talk about it."  
  
Leaning closer, Mac looked directly into the young girl's eyes waiting for her to look back. When she did, Mac responded with a very serious tone, "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but I don't deserve to have you take your bad mood out on me. If you're going to act that way when I don't want to spend time with you. I love you, but it makes it hard when you act like a two-year old."  
  
Surprised and more than a little hurt, Chloe sat stunned that Mac would actually say such things. "Whatever," Chloe said as she pushed her chair away from the table. Not even bothering to push it back in, she walked slowly to the couch and began flipping through channels on the TV.  
  
Choosing to let it rest for the moment, Mac went to her bedroom to work on a case that she was presenting next week. 


	2. Mattie and Harm

"Mathilda Grace!" Harm didn't waist any time letting Mattie know he was upset. If she kept pissing off her English teacher, he was going to get annoyed very quickly.  
  
On the other side of the door, Mattie quickly looked up from the book she was reading. "Jennifer—"  
  
"Oh no. Don't you even expect me to answer the door. I am not that dumb!" Staying put, Jenn waited for Mattie to let her guardian in.  
  
"Please? Jenn, I promise—I'll do dishes for the next week!"  
  
Hearing the debate from outside the door, only managed to irritate Harm more. "Would someone let me in? Coates, I'll be over your six too..."  
  
"Two weeks and you got a deal." Seeing Mattie nod quickly, Jennifer reluctantly opened the door, avoiding eye contact with Harm.  
  
"Thank you Coates," Harm offered half a smile in Jennifer's direction and stalked across the room to where Mattie was avoiding him.  
  
"I got a call at work today. Again. Do I need to tell you who it was from?"  
  
"Harm it wasn't my fault!" Adjusting herself a little higher in her chair to emphasize her point, Mattie continued. "She asked us to write a paper about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wrote about wanting to go into the Navy and she wrote back that I needed to set my goals higher. I do not need to set my goals higher! I know exactly what I want! She has no right to tell me whether or not I can go into the Navy!"  
  
Harm leveled her with a look, "But you have the right to tell her to kiss you're @$$? What have I told you about watching your language, young lady?"  
  
"I know, I know and I am sorry. But, I am not just going to sit back and let her ruin my dreams." Softening a bit, Mattie rubbed a tear away from her eye. In typical Mattie fashion, she mumbled, "Now see what you've done."  
  
"Mattie, look at me..." Waiting for his young charge to make eye contact, Harm paused. "Mattie, she has no right to tell you what you can and can't do. However, even if she does, you don't have to listen to it. Eleanor Roosevelt said, 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' When she says stuff like that, blow it off as her being a lonely woman who goes home and plays with her cats. Most likely, she has no ambitions—no dreams that she feels she can pursue."  
  
"I know what I need to do. I just get so caught up in the moment—and then I feel like I have to give the last word. I hate losing."  
  
Giving a typical Harm grin, he responded, "I know, kiddo. Trust me, I know." Braving a glance, Mattie questioned. "So... am I still in trouble?"  
  
"Umm that would be an affirmative. Just because we talked about it doesn't mean there aren't still consequences. The times I wish I could have just *talked* my way out of a situation..." Harm shook his head, trying to avoid the memories. His cell phone ringing broke him out of his reverie. However, before he answered it, he managed to respond, pointing at Mattie, "Brig ti—I mean, grounded. Two weeks." With one last fly-boy smile he added, "on top of those dishes you owe Coates!"  
  
Taking his phone down to his apartment, Harm took care of business still shocked at the similarities between his and Mattie's personalities. 


	3. Monday Morning

Monday Morning: Mac's Apartment  
  
"Chloe? Chloe, hon, wake up."  
  
Groggily, Chloe rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, focusing on her watch. "Mac, it's 6:00 am. Leave me alone..."  
  
"Sorry Chlo, no can do. I have to go to work. And you—you have to go to school. I talked to your Dad and he said he was going to be gone for two months, which means I am in charge of your education, among other things."  
  
Remembering that her Dad was leaving her on her birthday made Chloe even more upset. "Oh wonderful. So much for 'quality time.'" Stumbling off the couch, Chloe managed to make it to the bathroom where she slammed the door and locked it.  
  
Hearing the door lock, Mac sighed. She hoped the entire two months wasn't like this. "Chloe, there is only one bathroom in this apartment. If you need privacy, fine, but your time is limited to 30 minutes."  
  
Hearing Mac, but choosing to ignore her, Chloe leisurely took her time getting ready. An hour and twenty minutes later, Chloe came out looking like she owned the world, not to mention the small, one bathroom apartment. As she wandered out into the kitchen, the young girl noticed a very upset marine in full dress sitting at the kitchen table. She started to speak when Mac stopped her.  
  
"In the car. Now." Pointing at the door, Mac tried her best to keep her voice level. She knew the last thing Chloe needed was to be yelled at. Still... at moments like these....  
  
Even Chloe knew that she had been pushing her luck. Grabbing her book bag from the back of a chair, Chloe slid the chain lock open and walked down the hallway to the elevator.  
  
Following at a close distance, Mac entered the elevator behind the girl. Neither woman said anything on the way to the vehicle. In fact, the entire trip to school was lost in silence.  
  
"I am sorry, but I am just going to drop you off at the entrance. Perhaps if you had taken a little less time sulking, I might have had a few moments to walk in and get you settled."  
  
"Whatever." Not even bothering to look at Mac, Chloe slammed the car door shut and walked slowly towards school.  
  
Letting out a deep breath, Mac watched as she walked away. Telling herself not to cry, Mac hit the accelerator a little too hard and turned up the radio to drowned out her thoughts. It was going to be a long trip to work. 


	4. Chloe and Mattie Meet

JAG Headquarters  
  
Seeing Mac bent studiously over paperwork in her office, Harm couldn't help but knock on the door frame, pausing a moment to smile to himself.  
  
"Enter," Mac responded without looking up. After a moment of silence she glanced up and noticed Harm smirking.  
  
"Someone's looking a little frazzled this morning."  
  
"Don't Harm. Not today. I—"Mac would have continued but was cut off by the beeping of Harm's pager.  
  
Looking down, Harm had to choke back a cuss word. "I swear to God—the girl has been in school for two and a half hours and she is already in trouble."  
  
"Sounds like your day has been as interesting as mine," giving each other bemused looks, the two hesitated between anger and tears. "Want to use my phone, Commander?"  
  
"Thanks." Harm gave Mac one last look before dialing Mattie's school. "Hello, this is Commander Harmon... She what?" Seeing that Mac was going to leave, Harm stayed her by touching her right elbow. "Yes. Yes, the Colonel is right here. We will both be there shortly. Yes, and thank you." Slowly putting the phone down, Harm gave Mac a 'you're never going to believe this' look before speaking.  
  
"Mattie and Chloe got in a fight."  
  
"They what?"  
  
"I didn't get many details because the secretary sounded rushed, but apparently Mattie has a black eye and Chloe has a bloody nose. They want us both at the school ASAP."  
  
"What are we going to tell—"  
  
"Don't worry about him." Coates suddenly interrupted the conversation. "I got the call first, Sir, Ma'am... I told them to try your pager."  
  
Mac acknowledged Petty Officer Coates with a nod, "Thank you, Coates. We owe you."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Watching the two leave, Coates turned back to her desk. She had some serious work to do regarding the admiral... in more ways than one. 


	5. The Principal's Office

Mattie and Chloe's School  
  
Arriving at the school ten minutes sooner than they should have, Mac and Harm entered the office looking very troubled. The secretary called both of them into the principal's office where Mattie and Chloe were sitting, each with an ice pack on their respective injuries.  
  
"What happened?" Both Mac and Harm looked at each other when they realized that they had asked the same question at the same time. The principal responded leaving the four with little thinking to do.  
  
"Have a seat, please." Waiting for both adults to find their seats, the principal paused a moment before continuing. "Mattie, since this seems to be your second time in here for mouthing off, would you like to explain what happened?"  
  
Mattie was on the verge of saying no, when she caught Harm's look and decided against it. "Chloe is in my... English... class. Harm told me I had to apologized for what I said to my teacher. I came in right after lunch so I wouldn't have to say sorry in front of everyone. That's when she came in," Mattie emphasized 'she' while pointing towards Chloe, "and heard the end of my apology. She must have heard something about me going in the Navy and she just flipped out at me. She said that everyone in the Navy was a loser and that they were lying to themselves if they thought they were defending the country." Looking at Harm, Mattie continued, "I tried to remember what you said... but it's different when it comes from your peers than when it comes from some lonely... from my English teacher."  
  
Chloe, who until this point had remained quiet, finally found her voice. "It's true. She'll just grow up, have kids, and ditch them on their birthday!" Realizing she'd ruined her stoic demeanor, Chloe found great interest in the floor tiles.  
  
Finishing the story for both girls, the principal spoke up. "Look, I know that both girls have been under a great amount of stress. Still, fighting is against the rules. If it had been just verbal, I think we could have worked it out, but when Mattie threw the first punch..." The principal looked to Harm and Harm nodded, knowing the truth already. "We are going to have to suspend them both—three days. It's standard for fighting. But, if it happens again, it will be longer."  
  
Standing up, Harm took Mattie by the elbow, not hard but making sure she knew she was in for it when they got out of there. "Thank you for calling me. After these three days are done, Mattie is going to wish she was in school."  
  
Mac stood up and made eye contact with the principal as well. Motioning for Chloe to go ahead of her, the two followed Harm and Mattie to Mac's vehicle.  
  
Mattie was the first to speak. "You drove the same car?" she stammered, incredulously.  
  
"No talking." Harm spoke, leveling her with a look. "You two are in so much trouble." Harm looked to Mac for reinforcement.  
  
Getting in the vehicle, Mac started the engine and looked at Harm. "Your place or mine?"  
  
"Neither. Take them back to JAG. I have an idea..." 


End file.
